UT Austin McCombs Application Guide
Explore our insights on what the UT Austin McCombs MBA program
has to offer, along with the latest facts and stats.
About UT Austin McCombs
The University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business combines the intimacy of a relatively small MBA program with the resources of one of the country’s leading public research universities. Now formally called the Hildebrand MBA following a $20 million naming gift from alumna Mindy Hildebrand in 2025, the program’s portfolio spans five formats, from the Full-Time MBA to Executive and Weekend options. The latest UT Austin McCombs class profile includes 235 Full-Time MBA students, creating a close-knit learning environment within the much larger Longhorn community.
Flexibility is a defining feature of the program. After completing the core, students self-select more than 70% of their coursework from 100+ electives and a wide range of concentrations, tailoring the MBA to their career goals. More than 10 dual-degree options across UT Austin span fields from law and public policy to engineering, health, and global studies.
McCombs also makes strategic use of its Austin location. The city’s technology, startup, energy, and creative sectors extend the classroom into a dynamic business ecosystem, connecting students with companies, founders, and emerging industries throughout the region. (McCombs students have pride in living in the “Live Music Capital of the World” and attend numerous on- and off-campus performances.)
Community is equally central to the experience. First-year students learn within cohorts and diverse study teams, and more than 40 Full-Time MBA student organizations create opportunities to build relationships around career interests, identities, leadership, sports, and life in Austin.
The insights on this page reflect Fortuna’s deep knowledge of Texas McCombs, including perspectives from our coaches who are former MBA admissions decision-makers and experts in the MBA admissions process.
Why Choose UT Austin McCombs?
McCombs offers an unusually customizable MBA experience in one of the country’s most dynamic business environments, backed by the scale and reach of the University of Texas at Austin.
Austin is part of the curriculum. McCombs sits in a major hub for technology, entrepreneurship, energy, and innovation. That proximity creates opportunities to connect classroom learning with companies, founders, investors, and emerging industries throughout the city.
Build an MBA around your goals. McCombs gives you unusual freedom to shape the MBA around where you want to go. Whether you’re deepening expertise, exploring a new field, or making a significant career pivot, you can build an academic experience that evolves with your ambitions.
Entrepreneurship has real infrastructure behind it. McCombs and UT support aspiring founders through a broad entrepreneurship ecosystem that includes the Herb Kelleher Entrepreneurship Center and the Brumley Institute for Graduate Entrepreneurship. Students can develop ideas, work alongside startups, connect with mentors, and engage directly with Austin’s entrepreneurial community.
Small MBA, enormous university network. McCombs offers a close-knit MBA experience within the much larger academic and alumni community of UT Austin. Dual degrees, cross-campus opportunities, and the Longhorn network give you access to resources and relationships that extend well beyond the business school.
“McCombs offers a combination that’s hard to replicate: a highly personalized MBA experience, the resources and network of a major university, and Austin right outside the door,” says Fortuna Senior Expert Coach Sharon Joyce. “Students have tremendous freedom to shape their experience around where they want to go, while becoming part of a community that is genuinely collaborative and deeply connected to the city.”
UT Austin McCombs MBA Class Profile Class of 2027
| Median GMAT FOCUS | 655 |
| Median GRE | 319 |
| Median Undergraduate GPA | 3.53 |
| Acceptance Rate | 33% |
| Class Size | 235 |
| Average Age | 29 |
| Average Work Experience | 6 Years |
| International Students | 31% |
| UT Austin MBA Tuition (per year, class of 2027) | $61,214 ($55,196 for Texas residents) |
Curriculum Highlights
Flexible Curriculum: Complete most core requirements in your first year, then choose from 100+ electives to shape the remainder of your MBA around your goals and interests.
Concentrations: Choose from more than 20 optional concentrations spanning areas such as finance, entrepreneurship, management consulting, technology, marketing, clean tech, and supply chain and operations management.
Experiential Learning: Apply your skills through consulting projects, investment funds, venture experiences, competitions, and other hands-on work with companies and organizations.
Entrepreneurship & Innovation: Tap into UT Austin’s broader entrepreneurial ecosystem through resources such as the Herb Kelleher Entrepreneurship Center and Brumley Institute for Graduate Entrepreneurship, with opportunities to develop ventures and work with startups.
Dual Degrees & UT Austin Access: Expand your MBA through more than 10 dual-degree options across UT Austin, combining business with fields such as law, public affairs, engineering, communication, and global policy.
Career Outcomes (Class of 2025)
UT Austin McCombs career outcomes reflect the school’s strength across consulting, technology, financial services, energy, and other major post-MBA industries.
| Average Base Salary | $154,053 |
| Salary Increase (pre-MBA to three years post-graduation, source: FT Rankings) | 124% |
| Employment offered within 3 months of graduation | 75% |
| Post-MBA Industries | Consulting: 28% Technology: 22% Financial Services: 19% Energy: 6% Consumer Packaged Goods: 6% Healthcare: 6% Retail: 5% Real Estate: 3% Other:5% |
| Top Recruiters | AT&T, Alvarez & Marsal, Amazon, Amgen, Apple, Bain & Co., Barclays, BCG, Capital One, Cisco, Citigroup, DaVita, Dell, Deloitte, Delta Air Lines, Eli Lilly, Ernst & Young, Exxon Mobil, JPMorgan Chase, Karlin Real Estate, Keurig Dr Pepper, McKinsey, Microsoft, Moelis & Company, Morgan Stanley, PepsiCo, Perella Weinberg Partners, Piper Sandler & Co, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Rothschild & Co, Royal Bank of Canada, Tesla, UT Austin, Toyota, Truist Financial, Veho Technologies, Visa, Walmart |
UT Austin McCombs Admissions Process & How to Get Into the McCombs MBA Program
Below is our guidance on the key UT Austin McCombs application requirements and each stage of the McCombs MBA admissions process, in the order our successful clients typically complete them.
For tailored, start-to-finish support, explore Fortuna’s All-Inclusive MBA Admissions Coaching Package.
1. Resume
Your resume should give the McCombs admissions committee a clear picture of your professional progression, leadership, and impact. McCombs typically expects at least two years of full-time post-bachelor’s work experience by enrollment, although the quality and trajectory of that experience matter as much as the number of years.
Keep your resume focused on what you accomplished, not simply what you were responsible for. Quantify results where useful, make progression visible, and provide enough context for someone outside your industry to understand why an achievement mattered. Your resume should also help reveal interests and experiences that add dimension to the rest of your application.
As Fortuna Director Heidi Hillis likes to say, “What you do in your free time (what little you might have of it) is as interesting and important to the admissions committee as what you do at work, because it sends a signal about the kind of student and alum you’ll be.”
For tactical guidance, see How to Write an MBA Resume that Stands Out, by Fortuna’s Jody Keating.
2. Recommendation
McCombs requires one recommendation from someone who has supervised your work or assessed your performance. A professional recommender, such as a direct or indirect supervisor or client, is strongly preferred.
Choose someone who knows your work well and can provide specific evidence of your strengths, impact, and growth. McCombs asks recommenders to compare your performance with similarly qualified peers and describe the most important constructive feedback they have given you. A recommender with firsthand examples will be far more valuable than someone with an impressive title but limited knowledge of your work. (If you don’t choose your current supervisor, briefly explain why in the optional statement.)
For more guidance, read Fortuna’s How to Secure the Best MBA Letters of Recommendation.
3. Standardized Test or Test Waiver
McCombs accepts the GMAT, GRE, or Executive Assessment (EA) and has no preference among the three. The school also offers a merit-based test waiver for candidates who can demonstrate strong quantitative or analytical readiness through their academic and professional experience.
If you pursue a waiver, build an evidence-based case around your quantitative preparation. McCombs looks for strong academic performance in an analytically focused degree and at least three years of progressive post-undergraduate work involving significant analytical responsibilities. Advanced degrees and professional certifications can further strengthen your case.
A strong test score can still benefit candidates with a lower GPA, limited quantitative coursework, less professional experience, or a significant career pivot, and may also strengthen scholarship consideration.
4. UT Austin McCombs MBA Essays
The McCombs application essays for 2026-27 include two required essays of 250 words each. Together, they ask you to show both where you’re going and who you are: your vision for the McCombs experience, and the values that shape how you lead.
“The strongest McCombs applications weave together ambition, self-awareness, and genuine fit,” says Fortuna Senior Expert Coach Sharon Joyce, author of Fortuna’s latest Texas McCombs essay analysis. “Be specific about how you’ll engage with McCombs, but make sure the person behind the goals comes through too.”
Essay 1: Imagine yourself at the completion of your MBA journey. Why was pursuing your MBA at Texas McCombs the right decision for your personal and professional growth? Reflect on how you made the most of your time in the program—academically, through hands-on learning opportunities, and within the McCombs community. Highlight how you contributed to the McCombs community and used its resources to grow both professionally and personally. (250 words)
Put yourself at graduation and look backward. Beneath the creative framing is a classic career goals and “Why McCombs?” essay. Establish your post-MBA direction early, then show how specific McCombs resources and experiences helped you get there. Balance what you hope to gain with what you’ll contribute to classmates and the community. At only 250 words, choose details that genuinely connect to your goals rather than compiling a list of McCombs offerings.
Essay 2: Reflect on a core value that defines you. Share a specific example of how it has guided your decisions and actions, and explain how it will shape your contributions and growth as a McCombs MBA student. Highlight how this value has influenced your leadership style and life path, and how it will shape your MBA experience. (250 words)
Choose one value that genuinely matters to you and bring it to life through a specific example. Show the admissions committee what you did, why you made the choices you did, and what the experience reveals about how you lead. Then connect that value to how you’ll contribute and continue to grow at McCombs. Authenticity matters more than selecting a value you think admissions wants to hear.
Optional Statement: Please explain any gaps in work experience, choice of recommender, and/or academic performance issues that may help the admission committee in reviewing your application. (250 words)
Use the optional statement only when something in your candidacy genuinely requires context, such as an employment gap, academic concern, or choice of recommender. Keep your explanation concise and factual, and where appropriate, point to evidence that demonstrates your readiness today.
For a deeper dive, read Sharon Joyce’s Texas McCombs Essays: Strategy & Tips.
5. Online Application
The online application brings together your academic, professional, and personal background alongside your resume, recommendation, essays, transcripts, and test information. Review every element for consistency before submitting; collectively, the pieces should tell a coherent story about where you’ve been, where you’re headed, and why McCombs fits that trajectory.
After you submit the online application, you’ll receive instructions to pay the UT Austin McCombs application fee or, if eligible, complete the school’s application fee waiver process.
Only the online application must be submitted by your round deadline. The required video assessment and optional interview can be completed afterward.
The McCombs MBA deadlines for the Full-Time MBA in 2026-27 are October 15, 2026, for Round 1; January 15, 2027, for Round 2; and April 1, 2027, for Round 3. Round 3 is the final application deadline for the Full-Time MBA.
See Fortuna’s MBA Application Deadlines tracker for the latest deadlines across top US and international programs.
6. Video Assessment
Every Full-Time MBA applicant must complete the McCombs video assessment shortly after submitting the written application. You’ll receive six prompts and have 90 seconds to respond to each, with seven days to complete the assessment once you receive access. Two responses are viewed by the admissions committee but are not scored.
The video gives McCombs a chance to see the person behind your resume, test scores, and transcripts. Expect behavioral questions designed to reveal qualities such as adaptability and resilience, motivation, empathy and inclusivity, ambition, goals, communication skills, and professionalism.
Prepare a bank of specific stories from your professional and personal experience, but don’t memorize answers. For behavioral questions, the STAR framework can help you move quickly from Situation and Task to the more important Action and Result. With only 90 seconds, establish the context briefly and spend most of your time explaining what you did, what happened, and what you learned.
Most importantly, let your personality shine through. Practice speaking to the camera until the format feels natural, then approach each response as a conversation. McCombs wants to hear your own voice and understand how you think on your feet.
For detailed preparation strategies, see Fortuna’s How to Ace the McCombs Video Assessment and MBA Interview at UT Austin.
7. Interview
McCombs encourages all Full-Time MBA applicants to complete a virtual interview, although it is not required. The 20- to 30-minute conversation is conducted by a McCombs MBA student ambassador and uses behavioral questions, with time for your own questions at the end.
Prepare concrete examples of leadership, teamwork, resilience, and navigating challenges, along with clear answers to why you want an MBA, why now, and why McCombs. Know the program well enough to make your interest specific and credible.
Treat the interview as a two-way conversation. McCombs intentionally gives applicants another opportunity to connect with its community, demonstrate collaborative instincts, and reinforce their motivation. Bring two or three thoughtful questions that reflect genuine curiosity about the experience.
For targeted coaching, explore Fortuna’s MBA Interview Prep service.
Expert Application Advice from Fortuna Coaches
What does UT Austin McCombs MBA admissions look for? McCombs takes a distinctly human-centered approach, looking beyond academic and professional readiness to understand how you think, collaborate, adapt, and contribute. Strong candidates demonstrate clear direction, self-awareness, empathy, ambition, and genuine enthusiasm for the McCombs community.
“McCombs really wants to understand the person behind the application,” says Fortuna Senior Expert Coach Sharon Joyce. “Be clear about your goals and what you’ve accomplished, but also let them see how you think, what you value, how you work with others, and what you’ll bring to the community. The strongest applications feel specific, personal, and unmistakably yours.”
1. Show Why McCombs, Why Austin
Austin is a meaningful part of the McCombs value proposition, so demonstrate that you understand how the city connects to your own goals. Think beyond lifestyle. Consider the companies, industries, entrepreneurial resources, events, and communities you could realistically engage with while earning your MBA.
2. Make Collaboration Concrete
McCombs deliberately structures its Full-Time MBA around cohorts and first-year study teams, and collaboration remains a recurring theme in its admissions messaging. Don’t simply describe yourself as collaborative. Show how you listen, build trust, work across differences, and help a group perform better.
3. Show Adaptability and Growth
McCombs explicitly values adaptability and resilience: your ability to navigate the unexpected, learn from setbacks, and keep moving forward. Look for examples that show how you responded when plans changed or something didn’t go as expected. Focus on what you did, what you learned, and how the experience shaped the way you lead.
4. Bring an Enterprising Mindset
You don’t need to be planning a startup to demonstrate the enterprising spirit that fits McCombs. Highlight times when you spotted an opportunity, challenged an assumption, created something, or found a better way to solve a problem. Make the outcome clear, but also reveal the curiosity and initiative behind it.
5. Keep Austin Weird
Austin’s famously independent spirit is part of the McCombs experience. Beyond its thriving technology and startup scene, the city is known for live music, festivals such as South by Southwest and Austin City Limits, a vibrant food scene, and a strong culture of supporting local businesses. McCombs students have countless ways to explore the city and build community beyond the classroom. As you consider your fit with McCombs, think about the life you want to build in Austin as well as the MBA you want to pursue.
Next Steps: Start Your UT Austin McCombs Journey
Ready to pursue Texas McCombs? Partner with Fortuna’s team of MBA admissions insiders to refine your strategy, strengthen your essays, and prepare with confidence. Book a free consultation to get started.